Mara di Sandro De Matteo

About Me

My Biography

I was born in Naples, Italy, and raised and educated in the small city of Portici, a suburb right outside of Naples. I moved to America when I got married many years ago. I’ve lived in a few places around the States, but have settled in beautiful Westchester County, NY, in the proximity of the Hudson River which I love as it reminds me – in a convoluted way – of the Bay of Naples. I’m a writer of women’s fiction, have completed several novels and a collection of short stories, recently published two books, Dreams, Lies and a Touch of Smoke and The Summer of the Spanish Writer, which take place right here in Westchester. I also have a website, MaraWriter.com , where I regularly write a blog in both English and Italian. My great passions are my Italian heritage and language, and writing. My dream is to write novels, memoirs, and also articles for magazines, both American and Italian, about aspects of life in both countries, with interviews, photographs and videos. I also love to bake and cook and have posted many cooking videos on YouTube (and, of course, on my website). I’m currently working on a cookbook about the foods and the stories of my Italian childhood. I also teach Italian privately, and lecture on Italian culture, literature and lifestyle.